- Planning authority
- Wigan Council
- Postcodes
- WN1, WN3, WN6
- Noon sun, 21 March
- About 36°
- Shadow from a 5 m eaves line
- About 6.8 m
- Planning plan
- Local Plan
- County
- Greater Manchester
How it plays out in Wigan
Access is where many garden schemes succeed or fail, in Wigan as anywhere. A drive squeezed past the side of a house has to be wide enough for cars, give drivers a clear view as they pull out, and keep noise and headlights from bothering the people next door. A new or wider dropped kerb also needs the highway authority’s consent.
Homes in WN1, WN3 and WN6 with a garage or a wide side passage often start ahead here. Where the gap is tight, a smaller home, a shared drive with a neighbour or access from a lane behind may still work. Because Wigan Council will look closely at the detail, we design the access before the house.
How we’d take it forward in Wigan
Send us your address in Wigan and a rough idea of what you’d like. We check the planning history around you and the policies Wigan Council applies, and look for anything in the title that could get in the way. If the garden passes those checks, we arrange a visit at a time that suits you and explain each route in plain terms.
Free plot appraisal
We look at your garden using maps, the title plan and the planning history around you, then talk it through with you. If it looks workable we arrange a site visit. There’s no cost and no obligation.
Measure and test the layout
We check depth, the width of the way in, levels, trees, drains and what lies behind, then sketch what could realistically fit: one home, two, or nothing worth pursuing, before anyone pays for an application.
Choose your route
You decide whether to sell the plot outright, sell subject to planning, grant an option, team up with neighbours, or keep the land and have us design, get planning for and build a home on it.
Sale or build
If you sell, your solicitor handles the transfer of part and your lender’s release of the plot. If you build, we give a written quote after design and survey, then build and hand over the new home.
Worth checking early
- A shorter garden changes how your own house feels to live in and may affect what it is worth.
- A covenant, a mortgage, a public sewer or a protected tree can slow a scheme down or stop it altogether.
- Neighbours are consulted and may object. The council decides, and a carefully designed scheme can still be refused.
Wigan: questions to ask
How long does planning take for a garden home in Wigan?
It varies. Small schemes often take a few months from submission to decision, and longer if surveys, amendments or extra consultation are needed. Pre-application advice and early surveys add time at the start but can save time later. We won’t promise a date, because the council sets the pace.
Can I build a house in my back garden in Wigan?
Possibly, if the garden is deep enough, has a safe way in and a new home wouldn’t harm the neighbours or the character of the street. A new separate home always needs planning permission, and Wigan Council makes the decision. A free appraisal will tell you whether your garden is worth taking further.
Who decides planning for a home in a Wigan back garden?
Wigan Council decides, using the council’s Local Plan, national policy and any local design guidance. It consults neighbours and other bodies before reaching a decision. We prepare the application and deal with the planning officer, but the outcome is always the council’s call.
How do I find out if my Wigan garden is big enough for a house?
Ask for a free garden plot appraisal. We measure depth and the width of the way in, check what lies behind, look at levels, trees and drainage, and compare your garden with your council’s separation and garden-size guidance. Size alone rarely settles it, because access and neighbours’ privacy matter just as much.
Other options in Wigan
- Bungalows on large plots
- Planning permission for a garden plot
- Tandem and landlocked plots
- Sell subject to planning
- Garage courts and yards
- Garden plot option agreement